Morning Edition
Orlando to host largest national gathering of Latino leaders
Apr 23, 2015, 6:45am EDT
The National Council of La Raza's annual conference and expo will come to Orlando July 23-26, 2016.
Megan Ribbens
Web Producer- Orlando Business Journal
The largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States is bringing its annual convention to Orlando next summer.
The National Council of La Raza announced April 22 it has selected Orlando as the host city for its 2016 NCLR Annual Conference and Naitonal Latino Family Expo.
The conference will be held July 23-26, 2016 at the Orange County Convention Center. NCLR's 2015 convention will be held at the Kansas City Convention Center.
Large trade shows and conventions like this not only bring more visitors to Orlando — which welcomed about 62 million visitors in 2014 — but also boosts business to nearby hotels and restaurants, adding to the region’s $50 billion tourism industry.
Orlando’s Latino population also has grown by 83 percent between 2000 and 2010, according to the Pew Hispanic Center, and the city is home to the nation’s fourth fastest-growing Latino market, according to a Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN) report.
The conference is the nation’s largest annual gathering of leaders, advocates, elected officials, business executives and change-makers who impact the Latino community. It’s also one of the largest events in the country focused on resources and activities for the Latino family, with an average of 200 exhibitors showcasing product and services.

The Historic Sanford Welcome Center Invites you to:April 24, 2015- 6pm to 8:30pm"Diversity"- Sanford welcomes and represents diversity in all of its forms. We would like to have our artists portray what diversity means to them and in turn allow our community to celebrate and cherish its diversity.

For more information please click on link below for the process to enter the Art Walk.

SEMINOLE STATE COLLEGE RECEIVES $900,000 NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT TO EXPAND SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING PROGRAM
SANFORD, Fla. (April 15, 2015) — Seminole State College of Florida will expand its Sustainable Engineering Certificate program with a $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. The three-year grant, known as “EMERGE – Establishing a Means for Effective Renewable/Green Energy,” will allow Seminole State to:
Strengthen employability for graduates by embedding the certificate within programs in the School of Engineering, Design and Construction.
Develop six new courses and provide new certifications in the areas of engineering technology, solar, construction, environmental science and automotive technology.
Offer the courses and certifications to dual-enrolled students.
Increase interest among non-science majors in sustainability and STEM areas.
"Seminole State is working to meet the growing demand for professionals with knowledge, skills and experience in sustainable and renewable energy," said Jason Gaschel, interim associate dean of the Center for Engineering and Design. "Each year, more students are showing interest in programs that link engineering and environmental science. With the support of the National Science Foundation, we can help to increase enrollment in our program and also the employability of our students."
Over the past three years, Seminole State has received $5.3 million in federal funding for STEM programs, including:
A $2 million Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) grant from the U.S. Department of Labor in 2014.
A $1.5 million grant in 2013 to increase minority STEM enrollment through the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Bridge to the Baccalaureate Alliances grant.
A $900,000 NSF grant to create dual enrollment programs for engineering, construction and design in 2012.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the United States added 625,000 jobs in the renewable energy sector in 2013. By the end of 2015, the solar industry will hire 36,000 employees, according to the nonprofit Solar Foundation – representing 86 percent employment growth since 2010. Florida ranks No. 7 in the nation for solar employment, with 4,000 jobs.
Seminole State’s Sustainable Engineering Certificate Program, established in August 2013, aims to prepare students for such careers by exposing them to emerging technologies in engineering, design and construction. In the 18-credit-hour program, students explore sustainability, alternative energy and environmental policy through hands-on labs led by faculty with extensive experience.

The Sanford City Commission endorsed the City accepting the challenge to become a “My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) designated community”. The MBK initiative launched by President Barack Obama in February of 2014 is intended to address persistent opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color to ensure all young people can reach their full potential. The MBK program supports African American and Hispanic males with certain programs that increase self-esteem, reduce disciplinary and law enforcement involvement, and boost academic performance. In some school Districts the dropout rate for Black and Hispanic males is as high as 50%. In 2012, Black males were 6 times more likely to be imprisoned than White males.

Sanford Future Claimer’s (a consortium of agencies and organizations) is facilitating to move the MBK initiative forward with a community summit to share the initiative and to receive feedback from the community.

Join us on Saturday, April 18, 10AM – 3PM, at the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church, 813 W. Pine Street, Sanford to share your thoughts on the obstacles and challenges facing these young men and to explore strategies to address them. Lunch will be served.

For More information and to RSVP contact Andrew Thomas, Senior Project Manager, City of Sanford, 407-688-5132or Andrew.thomas@sanfordfl.gov please visit the official My Brother’s Keeper website to learn all about the positive information surrounding this initiative https://www.whitehouse.gov/ the-press-office/2014/02/27/ fact-sheet-opportunity-all- president-obama-launches-my- brother-s-keeper-

The Collegiate DECA conference begins on Saturday with the high school conference beginning one week later. This is the home stretch! I am asking for your help one more time to help us recruit the final judges necessary. We are almost there! As of this morning, over 750 individuals are currently registered to judge at either the college conference, the high school conference, or both. Unfortunately, 750 is not quite enough volunteers. If you each recruit 5 more people, it would put us over the hump. Here are the needs that still exist.

Collegiate DECA ICDC on Monday, April 20, 2015

· 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM Shift (20 additional volunteers needed)

· Registration form available at http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1825866-B4FfOTJjOu

High School DECA ICDC on Monday, April 27, 2015

· 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM Shift (100 additional volunteers needed)

· 12:30 PM - 6:45 PM Shift (40 additional volunteers needed)

· Registration form available at http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1825944-B4FfOTJjOu

I would appreciate anything that you can do to help us reach out goal. Here are a few ideas/suggestions:

· Encourage people currently registered to judge only at one conference, to judge at both conferences. This will allow them to interact with our college members and our high school members.

· Send out an internal email/memo at your office encouraging people to participate. Give people one last chance to participate if they have not signed up already.

· Have you registered yet?

· Once you are registered - sign up a friend, your spouse, a colleague, a new employee.

On Thursday, April 23rd Dancing for Diabetes will be hosting A Toast to Hope to bring all of our past, present and future sponsors and community partners together to see what is ahead in the organization's 15th year.

Please do attend this private and free event to better understand Dancing for Diabetes, its mission, its impact and what more we can do as a group to put an end to an all too common disease--diabetes.

Light food and beverages will be served along with some entertainment--a preview of what you will see in the fall at the 15th annual show!

You will not want to miss this! Grab a friend and we will see you there!